Chronology of Vietnam War, 1962-1975
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Chronology of Vietnam War, 1962-1975 CHRONOLOGY OF KEY MARINE CORPS EVENTS IN VIETNAM WAR, 1962 – 1975 April 9, 1962 - The leading elements of Marine Task Unit 79.3.5, a helicopter task unit codenamed Shufly commanded by Col John F. Carey arrived at Soc Trang, Republic of Vietnam. Significance: This was the first Marine squadron-sized unit together with a small security force to deploy to Vietnam as a result of the establishment of the U.S. Military Assistance Command on February 8, 1962. They were to provide helicopter support to the Army of the Republic of Vietnam (ARVN) in its campaign against Communist Vietnamese forces called Viet Cong (VC). March 8, 1965 - The 9th Marine Expeditionary Brigade (MEB) commanded by BGen Frederick J. Karch landed at Da Nang, Vietnam, consisting of two Marine battalions, one arriving by air and over the beach. The following day, the MEB assumed control of the Marine Task Unit 79.3.5 at Da Nang which became Marine Aircraft Group (MAG) 16. Significance: This was the first deployment of U.S. battalion-sized U.S. combat units to Vietnam. Although the mission of the 9th MEB was limited solely to the defense of the airbase at Da Nang, it was, nevertheless, indicative that the U.S. advisory phase in the Vietnam War was to be transformed into more direct U.S. participation. May-June 1965 - On May 6, the 9th MEB was transformed into the III Marine Expeditionary Brigade which the next day became the III Marine Amphibious Force (III MAF). III MAF consisted of the forward elements of the 3rd Marine Division and the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing. MajGen William R. Collins was commanding general of both III MAF and the 3rd Marine Division and was relieved on June 4, 1965 in both capacities by MajGen Lewis W. Walt. MajGen Paul J. Fontana established the 1st Marine Aircraft Wing headquarters on May 11, 1965 and was relieved on May 24, by Brigadier General Keith B. McCutcheon. By this time, III MAF had established three bases at Da Nang, Chu Lai, and Phu Bai. The Commanding General, III MAF was responsible for all U.S. military activity in South Vietnam's I Corps consisting of the five northern provinces. The total strength of III MAF at the end of June was over 18,000 personnel. Significance: This was the formation of the Marine Corps command structure in Vietnam that was to remain in place to the departure of the Marine units from Vietnam in 1971. Aug 1, 1965 - The Joint Action Company was officially formed at Phu Bai Consisting of four South Vietnamese Popular Force platoons, each reinforced by a U.S. Marine infantry squad, which platoons eventually became known as Combined Action Platoons. Significance: This event initiated what eventually became the Combined Action Program which assigned these combined South Vietnamese and American platoons into various villages in the III MAF area of operations. This was a unique Marine and largely successful contribution to the U.S. /South Vietnamese pacification program in the countryside. Aug 3, 1965 - Company D, 1st Battalion, 9th Marines conducted a one day operation in the vicinity of Cam Ne, south of Da Nang. A CBS television crew, accompanying the company, filmed a Marine setting fire to a Vietnamese thatched house. This film, which was shown on the evening news, led to a debate in the press about U.S. tactics in Vietnamese Villages. Significance: The relationship of the media, especially the TV media, and the military was to be an acrimonious one during much of the Vietnam War. The so-called "Cam Ne incident" set much of the tone of this relationship. August 18-24 1965 - The 7th Marines conducted an amphibious and helicopter assault and defeated a large Communist force, the 1st VC Regiment, in Operation Starlite, inflicting heavy casualties on the enemy in heavy fighting on the Van Toung Peninsula south of Chu Lai. Significance: This was the first battle of American troops against a large Main Force VC unit. March 1, 1966 - The 26th Marines was activated at Camp Pendleton, California initiating the formation of the 5th Marine Division. Significance: For the first time since World War II, the Marine Corps was to have four infantry divisions on active duty. By the end of June, the Marines were authorized over 278,000 personnel, a Marine Corps larger than that of the Korean War. March 4-7, 1966 - The 3rd Marine Division Task Force Delta defeated the 21st North Vietnamese Army (NVA). Regiment inflicting heavy casualties upon the enemy in heavy combat in Operation Utah south of Chu Lai. Significance: This was the first engagement by Marine units against North Vietnamese Army units. March 10, 1966 - South Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Cao Ky removed LtGen Nguyen Chanh Thi from his position as ARVN I Corps commander. As a result this led to a series of strikes and political unrest especially in I Corps that saw a succession of I Corps commanders into June 1966. Much of the heaviest unrest was in the Da Nang sector which often placed III MAF in the middle between troops loyal to the central government and those who supported Thi and the Buddhist dominated "Struggle Group". General Walt often served as a mediator between the two. Significance: This unrest undermined the authority of the Vietnamese government which had grave implications about American participation in the war. March 29, 1966 - MajGen Lewis J. Fields established the 1st Marine Division Headquarters at Chu Lai. Significance: III MAF now officially consisted of two Marine infantry divisions and a reinforced Marine Aircraft Wing. July 7- August 2, 1966 - The 3rd Marine Division Task Force Delta conducted Operation Hastings just south of the so-called Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) dividing the two Vietnams. The Marine task force successfully repulsed the 324B NVA Division in its attempt to move into northern Quang Tri Province. Significance: This marked the beginning of the North Vietnamese effort to move in strength directly through the DMZ. It resulted eventually in the move of the entire 3rd Marine Division northwards and establishing a forward headquarters at Dong Ha in northern Quang Tri Province. November 29, 1966 - The Marines establish a one battalion base area near the U.S. Special Forces Camp at Khe Sanh in northwestern Quang Tri Province. Significance: This was the first establishment of a permanent Marine base at Khe Sanh. February 21, 1967 - Dr. Bernard Fall, noted historian of the French combat experience in Indochina, died in an explosion of an enemy mine. Dr. Fall was accompanying the 1st Battalion, 9th Marines in Operation Chinook. Significance: Dr. Fall was a recognized expert on Vietnam and ironically died in an area near the so called "Street Without Joy," which he had so carefully portrayed in his writing. He was one of the South Vietnamese regime. February 27, 1967 - NVA rocket troops launched 140 mm rockets against the Da Nang Air Base. More than 50 rockets hit the base in less than a minute. The rockets had a range of 9,000 meters. Significance: This was the first know use of large tactical rockets in South Vietnam. The use of these weapons forced III MAF to extend its protective patrolling at Da Nang out to 9,000 meters, which added to the drain on Marine infantry manpower. March 18, 1967 - The first woman Marine to serve in Vietnam, M/Sgt Barbara J. Dulinsky, arrived in Saigon, for assignment to the MACV combat operations center. March 26, 1967 - ComUSMACV ordered III MAF to prepare a plan for locating, constructing, and occupying a strongpoint obstacle system south of the DMZ to prevent the North Vietnamese from infiltrating through that zone into South Vietnam. Significance: III MAF eventually began building this strongpoint system later in the year while under fire by North Vietnamese artillery. This anti-infiltration effort, also known as Dye Marker and Project Nine was labeled by the Media as "McNamara's Wall," after the name of the U.S. Secretary of Defense Robert S. McNamara. April 20, 1967 - U.S. Army Task Force Oregon under Major General William B. Rosson (USA) establihsed its headquarters at Chu Lai and came under the operational control of III MAF to reinforce the Marines in I Corps. Eventually on September 20, Task Force Oregon became the U.S. Army Americal Division under Major General Samuel W. Koster (USA). Significance: III MAF became truly a U.S. joint command with a sizable Army contingent under its operational control. April 24 - May 11, 1967 - The "First Battle of Khe Sanh" or "Hill Fights" took place. In extremely bitter fighting with North Vietnamese troops, units of the 3rd Marine Division cleared Hills 8881S, 881N, and 861 overlooking the Khe Sanh Combat base. Significance: Khe Sanh began to take on more importance as a Marine outpost. The American command insisted that it be held and the North Vietnamese continued to probe and try to isolate the garrison. May 31, 1967 - LtGen Robert E. Cushman, Jr. succeeded LtGen Lewis W. Walt as Commanding General III MAF. Significance: General Walt who had become identified with the Marine Corps pacification campaign including the Combined Action Program was relieved after two years in command of III MAF. Walt's successors as III MAF would continue to emphasize pacification as a central component of the Marine effort in South Vietnam especially in the heavily populated area around Da Nang. July 2-14, 1967 - The 9th Marines conducted Operation Buffalo to counter a North Vietnamese offensive near the Marine base at Con Thien just south of the DMZ.